Museums and Castles events
Browse the exciting range of upcoming events and activities across our Museums and Castles sites!
To see What's On over the next month, click 'In the next 7 days' and change it to 'In the next 30 days'.
You can then filter by category, venue and age ranges.
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You can download our Winter/Spring What’s On for Families guide here (PDF). We have copies at our museums and Pontefract Castle.
You can also download our What’s On for Families guide in accessible Word Document format.
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Dungeon Tours
Pontefract Castle
18 Jan 2025
Join us for a tour of the Pontefract Castle dungeons. Soak in the atmosphere of this eerie underground space, discover the history of the dungeon and see where Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock.
Please note: The tour involves going underground via steep steps with low light levels, uneven ground, and damp conditions. Sensible footwear is strongly recommended.
Pontefract Castle Explorer Tours
Pontefract Castle
18 Jan 2025
Family Fun at Castleford Museum
Castleford Museum
18 Jan 2025
Join the Castleford Museum team, rain or shine, for free fun craft activities every Saturday.
With different themed crafts and activities each week, what will you make?
All activities and materials are provided and they’ll even tidy up afterwards!
Free and no booking required
Family Fun at Wakefield Museum
Wakefield Museum
18 Jan 2025
Join the Wakefield Museum team, rain or shine, for free fun craft activities every Saturday.
With different themed crafts and activities each week, what will you make?
All activities and materials are provided and they’ll even tidy up afterwards!
Free and no booking required
Family Fun at Pontefract Museum
Pontefract Museum
18 Jan 2025
Join the Pontefract Museum team, rain or shine, for free fun craft activities every Saturday.
With different themed crafts and activities each week, what will you make?
All activities and materials are provided and they’ll even tidy up afterwards!
Free and no booking required
Dungeon Tours
Pontefract Castle
19 Jan 2025
Join us for a tour of the Pontefract Castle dungeons. Soak in the atmosphere of this eerie underground space, discover the history of the dungeon and see where Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock.
Please note: The tour involves going underground via steep steps with low light levels, uneven ground, and damp conditions. Sensible footwear is strongly recommended.
Pontefract Castle Explorer Tours
Pontefract Castle
19 Jan 2025
Toddler Tuesdays (Every Tuesday in term time)
Castleford Museum
21 Jan 2025
Join Charlie Bear every Tuesday during term time for a lively session of storytelling, crafts and rhymes!
We’ll be inspired by museum objects and a different theme each month. There's also a weekly Charlie Bear Challenge to try together!
Activities link to the following of your 50 Things to do Before You’re 5
#4 Make your Mark
#6 Rhyme Time
#10 Sharing books
#40 Happy History
Every Tuesday in term time, 10am – 11am
Free – No booking required
Castleford Crafts (Over 18s, Monthly)
Castleford Museum
21 Jan 2025
Pop along for a relaxed hour's crafting with our friendly team.
Explore Castleford's colourful and crafty past and try out a different activity each month.
All materials provided.
Free and no booking required.
Museum Minis (Ages 2 to 5)
Wakefield Museum
23 Jan 2025
Meet Alphabet Cat and take part in activities, rhymes and more!
Each month there's a new theme to help you explore Wakefield Museum.
Have fun learning and playing together and tick off the following on your 50 Things to do Before You’re 5:
#6 Rhyme Time, #7 Making Music, #11 Making Connections, #39 Talking Signs, #40 Happy History
Every Thursday morning from 10.30am to 11.30am during term time.
Free and no booking required
These sessions are designed for toddlers aged 2 to 5 and their families.
Please note: The fire alarms in Wakefield One are tested at 11am on Thursdays. We have ear defenders you and / or your children can borrow.
Dungeon Tours
Pontefract Castle
24 Jan 2025
Join us for a tour of the Pontefract Castle dungeons. Soak in the atmosphere of this eerie underground space, discover the history of the dungeon and see where Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock.
Please note: The tour involves going underground via steep steps with low light levels, uneven ground, and damp conditions. Sensible footwear is strongly recommended.
Pontefract Castle Explorer Tours
Pontefract Castle
24 Jan 2025
Dungeon Tours
Pontefract Castle
25 Jan 2025
Join us for a tour of the Pontefract Castle dungeons. Soak in the atmosphere of this eerie underground space, discover the history of the dungeon and see where Civil War prisoners left to languish scratched their names into the rock.
Please note: The tour involves going underground via steep steps with low light levels, uneven ground, and damp conditions. Sensible footwear is strongly recommended.
Pontefract Castle Explorer Tours
Pontefract Castle
25 Jan 2025
Family Fun at Castleford Museum
Castleford Museum
25 Jan 2025
Join the Castleford Museum team, rain or shine, for free fun craft activities every Saturday.
With different themed crafts and activities each week, what will you make?
All activities and materials are provided and they’ll even tidy up afterwards!
Free and no booking required
Family Fun at Wakefield Museum
Wakefield Museum
25 Jan 2025
Join the Wakefield Museum team, rain or shine, for free fun craft activities every Saturday.
With different themed crafts and activities each week, what will you make?
All activities and materials are provided and they’ll even tidy up afterwards!
Free and no booking required
Family Fun at Pontefract Museum
Pontefract Museum
25 Jan 2025
Join the Pontefract Museum team, rain or shine, for free fun craft activities every Saturday.
With different themed crafts and activities each week, what will you make?
All activities and materials are provided and they’ll even tidy up afterwards!
Free and no booking required
George Formby: A Castleford Connection (guest talk)
Castleford Museum
25 Jan 2025
George Formby was an international film and music star of the 20th century- whose biggest songs ‘When I’m Cleaning Windows” and “Leaning on a Lampost” are still popular today.
At the height of his fame he was the best paid entertainer in the country, earning more than a million pounds in today’s money for each film he made.
George met his wife Beryl in Castleford, and in 1940 he was a star guest at Castleford’s “Reight Neet Aht” marble competition.
Discover George’s unusual story, how he rose to fame and what he did with it, in this engaging talk by Andrew Poppleton - the President of the George Formby Society and leader of the Castleford Branch of the group.
As part of the talk Andrew will play a few of George’s more famous songs.
Free, booking required. Book George Formby: A Castleford Connection
Adults 16+
The Big Castle Bird Watch
Pontefract Castle
25 Jan 2025
Come to Pontefract Castle on the 25 and 26 January and take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch!
We’ll have RSPB guides to help you identify our feathered friends. Borrow some of our binoculars to use around the site. You can join in our official count at 1pm on Saturday 25 Jan, or give it a go any point over the weekend.
Once you’ve taken flight, see what birds you can identify near your home too!
No matter the weather, we’ll have fun family crafts indoors. Make your own bird puppets and paper ‘rocking robins’.
A little bird has told us there’s a few colourful friends hiding around the Visitor Centre too – can you spot them all?
You can find out more about the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch here. It’s the world’s largest garden wildlife survey!
All activities free and no booking required.